Trailer and Tickets for “Steve Shirley Shark Tagger” at the SFIOFF

Team ORF is honored to have our Executive Director, Steven Shirley, featured in this film by director Kristin Sherman Olnes with original music by our friend and supporter Mike Gibbons. Here’s a 1min teaser of the film. For your chance to watch this film in person, check out details at the San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival.

My short documentary, “Steve Shirley Shark Tagger,” will be screened on Monday, March 2nd, 7pm at the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason. Program 11

As my children have grown older, I have found the time to pursue my earlier interest in documentary filmmaking as a crew-of-one. But I’m still promoting self-directed learning, through my films, photos others send to me (like you did) and others’ films at this blog.

I’ve been out of touch in the blogosphere, due to teaching myself how to make a ‘professional’ digital short doc for the past year. Doing it in whatever free time I had on top of ‘life’ was all-consuming. I just couldn’t fit in visiting other peoples’ blogs. But when I could I went back to the ones I truly enjoyed, like yours.

The video you watched, “The Colorful Walls of Ajijic” was one of my first digital shorts, made with my iPhone5 and edited with iMovie; and it’s silly. That town in Mexico is quaint with lots of artists-in-residence. I’m sure you’d like all the murals.

Though I don’t like the poor image quality, poor sound, and the lack of depth of field, I love taking photos abroad with my iPhone because everyone there has some type of smart phone too; and it’s feels less intrusive to take photos of the locals and the scenery.

Aside: sometimes I perceive all the Americans with their fancy expensive cameras in foreign countries as acting entitled. They take whatever image they want of another ‘culture;’ and the way they do it feels insensitive and disrespectful to me. As a photographer yourself, I wonder what your thoughts are about that.

I’ve since moved on to a better camera and industry standard editing software. I’m still an amateur but I’m loving what I’m doing.

Hi Kristin – congratulations on immersing yourself in a skill you really want to master. Sometimes, everything else has to drop by the wayside.
Interesting that you should bring up the issue re: photography in foreign countries. I always try to be respectful and ask for permission, if possible, even if I just point to my camera with a question mark on my face (if I can’t speak the language). sometimes, people are far enough away or have their backs turned, then its easier to sneak a quick photo. I incorporated that tricky issue into my Bali memoir in the chapter that has “naked children” in the title. But you’ll have to read it to see how my character resolved that ethical dilemma….:-) keep working your dream!
BTW, I have been working on putting together a women’s midlife retreat for a few years now. And, it is finally becoming a reality – I’ve got a time and place for my pilot project and already interest is building in different locations. Very excited. If you’d like I can send you the flyer via e-mail so you can see what I am talking about…